How to push morning wake time 30 mins later?

8 replies

Moonshine160 · 28/04/2023 06:49

How to stop 7 month old waking at 5:30am? We’re stuck in a cycle of overtiredness and he’s wanting his first nap by 7am since he’s started doing this! He wakes up exhausted. Also wakes numerous times a night to be breastfed. Tried co-sleeping, cuddling/feeding him back to sleep, he just fights it but clearly still tired.

Here’s his schedule:
9:00-9:30am - 30/40 min catnap
12pm-2pm - 2 hour nap
5pm-5:30pm - 30 min catnap.
8pm - bedtime.

I have tried making the first nap longer but he catnaps no matter what I do, even if I hold him or drive him around in the car. He’s really resisting the last short nap of the day. Should I try and push the second nap later and put him to bed early? I have to collect my eldest from preschool at 3pm so the latest he can nap is 2:45pm :(

I can cope with the numerous wakes in the night because I feed him lying down, but im really struggling with the night wakes combined with 5:30 wake for the day. This started two weeks ago.

OP posts:

JJJSchmidt · 28/04/2023 06:52

I'd definitely try 2 naps rather than 3 and bring bedtime forward to 7

ACynicalDad · 28/04/2023 07:04

Can your partner not get up with the baby?

CastleTower · 28/04/2023 07:08

I'd try two naps in your shoes.

If you want to keep three naps, you might need to cap the lunchtime one and wake him up after an hour or so. I never did this, but I have friends who swore by it!

Original poster

Moonshine160 · 28/04/2023 07:08

@ACynicalDad he can on weekends but in the week he has to leave for work shortly after DS wakes up anyway.

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Original poster

Moonshine160 · 28/04/2023 07:09

@JJJSchmidt @CastleTower

Thank you. I’ll try the two naps and early bedtime for a few days and see if it helps. If not capping the lunchtime nap to squeeze in another one might be a good idea!

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Whereland · 28/04/2023 12:47

Start phasing out the third nap. It might be tough to just stop it straight away so if he really needs it I'd allow just 5/10 mins then bedtime at 7 until he can manage without it. The cat nap in the morning and long nap middle of the day sound right

hippygirllucky · 28/04/2023 12:55

Wow! By 7 months we were well and truest on just the two naps. Perhaps try that.

Original poster

Moonshine160 · 29/04/2023 07:14

Morning everyone. I dropped the teatime catnap yesterday and put him to bed earlier at about 6:30pm. He slept a lot longer last night with a 7am wake instead of 5:30 🙂 probably a fluke (because every good night seems to be) but thanks for all your advice x

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